The beginning of a new school year is the perfect time to reflect on books ELA teachers have been teaching for a generation and determine if they are still relevant. Is it time to pack these books in the storage closet and turn to more modern Young Adult novels to engage students?
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger has been a staple in high school English classrooms for decades because of its revolutionary treatment of a teenage protagonist. The book puts its reader right in the head of a wayward sixteen year-old boy struggling with the process of growing up. It accurately reflects the time period in which it was written. The novel published in 1951 paints a picture of affluent New York City life in the post Word War II era.
The question is, can this character, Holden Caulfield in the early 1950’s, still be a worthwhile text to teach today in 2015?
Yes! You just need to know how to spin it to today’s young people.
Here are the Top 5 reasons why The Catcher in the Rye should still be taught:
Hopefully you are recharged and ready to help your students engage with The Catcher In the Rye! Check out Castle Learning Online’s content for the novel to help create your assignments.